trying to see if as some pointed out maybe it's booby trapped, what is inside. the suspect apparently telling police that he had other explosives. cnn obviously continues coverage of this breaking news event. we continue with "cnn newsroom." fredricka picking up our coverage right now. this is cnn breaking news. >> we were watching a movie. and as one of the action scenes started up, gunshots were firing. and we heard like explosions or something to our left. >> it was just chaos. you saw injured people. there was this one guy who was on all fours crawling. there was this girl spitting up blood. >> gas bombs. as they were leaving. and then just gunshots all over the place. and it started in the theater that i had bought tickets to. >> horror and tragedy in aurora,

colorado, this morning after a mass shooting at a batman movie premiere. so far, 12 dead. and 38 injured. as a community searching for answers. a special edition of "cnn newsroom" starts right now. hello, everyone. i'm in for carol costello. we welcome viewers from around the world watching on cnn international. a night at the movies turned into a night of terror for moviegoers in colorado after a gunman opens up a rampage. and here is the latest of what we know. gunshots erupted just outside of denver in an aurora, colorado, theater during an early morning screening of "the dark knight rises." that is the new batman movie. 12 people are dead, 28 more wounded. a 3-month-old baby is among the wounded. police have a suspect in custody, a young man. a witness saw that man burst into the theater.

>> somebody kicked in the emergency exit and started throwing gas grenade sais and started shooting people at random. >> was it movie theater number nine? >> number nine, which is the one i was in. >> what did you do? >> at first, it took me a second to realize what was actually going on. and as people were running away, i hit the ground so i wouldn't be hit. >> there were gas grenades there? >> yeah. all i saw, i heard the sound of metal canisters clinging around, and then i saw plumes of smoke. >> a law enforcement official says the suspect had four weapons, a rifle, shotgun, and two handguns. officials say he acted alone. police searched the suspect's residence, and believe that there may be more explosives there. no explosives have been found. we expect to hear more from police at a news conference in just a few hours. the shooting happened inside the century 16 movie theater in aurora. this is a suburb of denver.

a short time ago, reporter susan mccarroll from our affiliate kcnc spoke to a teenaged witness. >> you know, this is one of the younger witnesses we have met so far. this is 15-year-old william. tell me what happened. what was your view? >> well, all i saw was a man bust open the entrance of the right corner. and he throws a tear grenade. and, you know, we were thinking at that point it's part of the show. but then we realized he started shooting off some rounds and that's when we realized it was serious. there was a lot of screaming. and it was shocking. >> reporter: how did you get out? >> well, it was about that time that he started going up the stairs and reloading. that's when i figured it was a big weapon. and we just kind of crawled down the stairs and just ran out the theater. >> reporter: how close to you

was he? >> he was -- he was -- he was kind of at a far distance but close enough to do some damage too. >> reporter: you're young, but were such a philosopher a minute ago. this is not what you expect when you go to the movies. >> it's not. usually, you go to the movies to, you know, have a fun night, relax, and when something like this happens at a theater, you know, you just wonder if it's safe or not. >> moments after the shooting, eyewitnesss started taking video and pictures on their cell phones. and the images started going up online. check this one out. from inside the lobby of the theater.

>> let's give you a better idea now of where this happened. the aurora mall in aurora, colorado. as we told you, the century 16 movie theater. theater number nine specifically. this is just a few miles outside of denver. the suspect was found in the parking lot behind the theater in his car. and here is a chopper shot of the suspect's apartment complex in north aurora. not far from the theater, just a couple of miles, we understand. that building has been evacuated this morning while police search for possible explosives because apparently the suspect told officers that there might be

explosives in that unit. but none so far have been found. aurora police tell cnn that one man is in custody, and that there is no evidence of a second shooter. here is what we can tell you about that suspected shooter right now. the gunman is a 24-year-old white male. he was wearing a bulletproof vest, a mask, covering most of his face, except for his eyes, according to eyewitnesss, and carrying four guns in all. one of which federal officials describe as an assault rifle. the same officials also say the suspect deployed tear gas just before firing into the crowd. the man was later apprehended in a parking lot at the rear of the theater where he did not apparently resist arrest. a motive for this attack still unknown. we're also hearing from witnesses who either saw the shooter or spoke to those who did. >> a man about six feet tall, taller than her, kicked through the door.

and he was in she said a riot helmet. she said he had a bulletproof vest on. you know, she said that he was completely covered in all black with goggles. and she said that after that point, when she saw that he was holding a shotgun, her and her boyfriend dropped to the floor and just kind of started to crawl to see if they could get away. they got up and they started to run through the emergency exit. she said that when she turned around, all she saw was the guy slowly making his way up the stairs and just firing. >> at people? >> just picking random people. >> horrific night. the fbi now part of this investigation. tom fuentes is a former assistant director of the fbi and also a cnn contributor and joining me right now from washington. tom, good to see you. >> good morning. >> give us an idea what kind of role the fbi would be playing here. >> well, the fbi would be trying

to determine if this individual was a member of any other terrorist organization, possibly a neo-nazi group or some type of anti-american, anti-social group of individuals who may do other shootings at other locations. so far, there's no indication of that. but that would be one of the primary reasons. secondly, they would try to determine his background. does he have military training? s has he lived in other states or other countries? are there other people that should be contacted, family, friends, colleagues, to determine whether he had been in contact with them or gave any indication of having this kind of violent tendency? >> and other orders of business, then, as it pertains to the suspect, the crime scene, the suspect's apartment where that search continues right now, if they have already ruled out -- because some indications are reports that they have ruled out that he is part of any national or international, you know, group, that this may be a lone wolf. what are the other orders of business that the fbi would be

attending to? >> well, first of all, i don't know that they could rule that out so quickly. currently, it's a little after 7:00 a.m. in colorado. they would have to get records from the internet service provider that he may use to go online for his email messaging, his phone records, other records of his, travel records, credit cards. so to be able to rule that out in the middle of the night might be difficult, not having the business records that they need. they would be trying to seek all of that on an emergency basis. but i know from past experience it takes a little bit of time to get all of that and to make a definitive ruling that he's not part of some other organization. and you also have to fear copycat shooters, that this could inspire somebody else right now to go out and do something similar today, tomorrow, or next week. >> and right now as investigators try to comb through the apartment, look at it, and continue to comb over the vehicle, would the fbi be

involved in that or is that strictly local police at this point? >> well, a number of agencies would be involved. the police would be contacting the fbi, the atf, other federal agencies, other state and local colorado state police, neighboring denver p.d. anyone that would have the resources that they may need, whether it's forensic capability, explosive examination capability, weaponry, as well as the extensive background investigation that's going to occur nationally and possibly internationally. so there's more than enough work for as many agencies as can be brought to bear. now, remember, in this case, the fact that terrorism has not been established and a link hasn't been established, the lead in this investigation is aurora police department. so the chief of aurora p.d. is the person in charge of this investigation. all other agencies would be providing assistance unless a terrorism nexus is established, and then that would affect how

they work the case. >> is there anything that you kind of extrapolate from the fact that we do know according to eyewitnesss that a mask was used, there was a bulletproof vest, we're talking about possibly some sort of automatic weapon, a rifle, two handguns? all of these quite frankly are quite accessible, aren't they? especially as it pertains to the bulletproof vest or the mask. these are things you can buy at a military surplus store. anybody can do that. >> unfortunately, the weapons, the equipment, military type gear, all of that is very readily accessible. so there's no trouble for someone to get their hands on the equipment that he apparently had at the time of the shooting. >> all right. tom fuentes, thank you so much for your insight. appreciate that. >> you're welcome. meantime, this investigation as it continues, we're also getting lots of reaction, including that of the president of the united states. he will be addressing this tragedy for the first time in the 11:00 a.m. eastern hour while he is on a campaign stop in florida. but for now, let's bring in white house correspondent brianna keilar.

already a statement from the white house. what are they saying? >> this actually coming from president obama. he said michelle and i are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in colorado. and he goes on to say that as local and state agencies are responding that he will make sure that his administration will do everything that it can do. he says when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one american family. it is a rather lengthy response that he has. and i will also tell you that the secretary of homeland security, janet napolitano, saying that she has directed the department of homeland security to provide any support necessary in the ongoing investigation. and we did learn from the white house that president obama -- we don't know if he was woken up, but it stands to reason that he was. he was alerted at 5:26 a.m. this morning by his top homeland security and counterterrorism advise they're this had happened in colorado, and he will be addressing this. he has two campaign events

today. he'll be talking about this we have learned from white house officials at the first one, which is in fort myers, florida, and we are expecting that around 11:20 a.m. and of course we'll bring you that live. >> thank you so much from the white house. again, the president's first remarks may be coming from fort myers, florida, in the 11:00 a.m. hour. and of course we'll be bringing that to you. so a bit more now about the suspect involved in the shooting in the early hours there in aurora, colorado. what we know, a 24-year-old white male, we believe, according to officials, and this is clearly a well-planned attack. what would drive a young man to do something like this? and what could the motive possibly be? we'll be talking about that with a criminal profiler in a moment. ♪

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we're following breaking news from aurora, colorado. there has been a mass shooting inside a movie theater. here is the latest that we know. gunshots erupted in that theater during an early-morning screening of "the dark knight rises," the new batman movie. at least 12 people are dead. 38 more are wounded.

at first, many people in the 16-screen theater thought that the gunfire was coming from a movie ongoing. police have a suspect now in custody. a young man. he was heavily armed and was arrested in the theater's rear parking lot near his vehicle. so there were hundreds of people inside the movie theater complex when the shooting started early this morning. and many inside saw the gunman, including one woman who told affiliate kcnc the gunman pointed a weapon at her. >> he came in, and he started lighting a gas can. and he threw it into the crowd. at that point, he shot his first fire into the ceiling and scare everybody. and they started scattering, and mass chaos happened. at that point, he went from here and here and pointed the gun at me. i was terrified. i dove into the aisle. at that point, he started shooting people behind me. i had bullets that were on my forehead, and i just told myself, i need to get out of here. i need to get out of here. >> here's what we know about the suspect. police say he is 24. he did not put up a fight

apparently when he was taken into custody. that i say that he had four guns, an assault rifle, a shotgun, and two handguns. one was found in the theater. witnesses tell investigators that the shooter just appeared at the front of the theater possibly from an emergency exit or from behind the screen or a curtain. and also that he was wearing a bulletproof vest, possibly a gas mask or a riot helmet of some sort, and also that the suspect released some sort of gas as you heard from that eyewitness, or smoke, and then began the shooting. clearly eyewitness accounts suggest this was a very well-planned attack. criminal profiler pat brown is joining us from washington. pat, of what we're hearing about the makeup of this suspect and what this suspect was equipped with, what does this tell you about the motive, what does this tell you typically about the profile of this individual?

>> well, typically, we have what is a mass murdering psychopath. this is his day in the sun. and when i woke up this morning and got the call from cnn, i went online, and i found out it was already on wikipedia. so this man has already achieved his goal, which is becoming one of the most famous people in the world, or infamous. his name will go down in history. he'll probably beat out the comuh bien guys for numbers, and he'll be very proud of himself. this is his moment in the sun. >> of course, we are still learning about the suspect. investigators are still combing the scene of his apartment, looking closer at his vehicle. we'll examine as we heard from our former fbi tom fuentes, they'll be examining his computer records. or anything that will tell them a little bit more about him, his background, whether there's any military training, et cetera. but from based on what we know, if indeed initial reports indicating that this was kind of a lone wolf, that there may not be any affiliation with a national or international group,

cha do what does this tell you about this person, whether he may be kind of an outcast, trying to make a statement? >> well, definitely not a terrorist, in my opinion. what we've got is the guy who does want to get back at society, show everybody that, you know, he is important, and you all kind of ignored me. we usually see this in late teens, early 20s, and in people who are 40 years old. the middle aged mass murderer who realizes he's not going anyplace in life anymore and nobody respects him enough. he doesn't have anything to lose, essentially this is going to be the best thing he's ever going to do in his life, so he probably has prepared for a long time. just obsessing over it. gathering up weapons. probably playing one video game after another, shooting, shooting, and building up his courage and the excitement of when it's going to be real for him. and it's made his day. >> so in your view, then, that apartment, as they continue to search, really just might be a treasure trove of information. if this kind of planning clearly had to be quite intense to

execute something of this scale in a very public place during a time when people are relaxed, having a good time, just after midnight. at a movie theater for a big screening. >> he totally chose this. this was his perfect fish bowl. and it was going to make the big news because it was the opening night of batman. so that was perfectly planned. if he had been a student, he might have picked a school. that's why the teens often hit the schools because that's a venue they are comfortable with. i bet you this guy spends time in movie theaters, realizing this is a good place to make this thing happen. so, yes, that apartment, they are going to find a lot of stuff there. this doesn't develop overnight. he didn't wake up one day and say, gee, i think i should shoot up some people. this has been something he has really been into. and we'll probably find on facebook or somebody who knows him, he was always playing the video games. and i'm not saying video games make you a killer. but if you're a psychopath, video games help you get in the mode to do the killing. so it is a problem in our

society with teenaged psychopaths, that they do get inspired by this and want to make it real. it sis a danger. but he probably has been involved in this. his obsession with weaponry probably has been there for a long time. and it doesn't mean all gun owners are crazy psychopaths it. just means this kind of guy would have that interest. and people probably knew it but never expected it would come to this, as they always say. >> criminal profiler pat brown from washington, thank you so much. as we continue to look at live pictures now of the apartment complex where this suspect was believed to have lived. of course, investigators still combing the scene, looking into the apartment. they thought at first it might be booby trapped because the suspect indicated that there might still be weapons inside. we understand officials are saying at this juncture it doesn't appear to be booby trapped but they continue to look and possibly look through some of the records and then try to figure out how to contact people who knew the suspect to get a better idea of the planning and the intent behind the shooting taking place.

this only a couple of miles from the movie complex where the shooting took place just after midnight colorado time. so meantime, it was a big screening for the big new batman movie, "the dark knight rises." and now warner brothers, the studio behind this movie, is reacting to this horrific violence in colorado. warner brothers saying that the paris premiere of the new batman movie has been cancelled. kareen wynter with more on that now. clearly, the movie makers not taking very long to react to this horrific opening here in colorado. >> absolutely, fred. it was supposed to be a summer escape with a highly anticipated action movie. but it's obviously turned into a tragedy. a nightmare really. batman fans across the country have been anxiously awaiting the opening of "the dark knight rises," lining up to be really among the first to see this movie. and to give you a sense, fred, of how many fans were a to see

the latest batman movies, advanced ticket sales totalled more than $25 million. analysts were predicting the movie would have the biggest opening ever for a 2d movie. obviously, now the focus is not on the hype surrounding this expected summer blockbuster but on this tragedy. in colorado, cnn entertainment received the following statement from warner brothers in regards to the shooting that occurred last night. warner brothers and film makers. we are deeply saddened, deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident. we extend our sincere sympathies to the loved ones and families at this time. cnn confirms that the studio has cancelled the paris premiere and press interviews for "the dark knight rises." it was scheduled for tonight. as for the violence in the film, you know, i have not screened it. but based on clips i've seen, "the dark knight rises" is an action movie. there are explosions in it at times that could have lent confusion in the theater. we obviously have no idea, fred,

what was going through the mind of the person or people responsible for this horrible incident so we can't say there is a direct connection to the themes in the movie, and what has occurred. but again, you have the statement from the studio behind "the dark knight rises." additionally, we reached out to the stars of the film, christian bale who plays batman, ann hathaway, gary oldman, and christopher nolan. and one thing you have to think about here, fred, is the rippling effect this could cause. this was supposed to be an entertaining experience. for so many people, one of most highly anticipated movies of the summer. people lining up last night. and then this is what happened. you know, just to show the precautionary measures that are taking place all across the country, susan candiotti just sent out a statement to the networks saying, for example, police commissioner raymond kelly, they are stepping up safety procedures to prevent possible copycats and to raise

comfort levels among movie patrons in the wake of what happened in colorado. >> and this was supposed to be a real family going movie, rated pg-13. so that paris premiere, might that have involved a number of the stars you just read off, a red carpet event, and warner brothers just feeling it's not appropriate to have that big premiere rollout in paris given what took place in colorado? >> absolutely. we call it junkets, you know, where the press reporters line up, and we get a chance to go one-on-one with the stars. and of course this would be the big question that the media would be asking in light of this tragedy. it's difficult a negative effect on the film. and so they probably don't want the stars reacting to this. and bottom line, it's just not appropriate in light of the tragedy. >> kareen wynter, thank you so much. and of course, warner brothers just like cnn a time warner company. we have continuing coverage of this tragic shooting takes place in aurora, colorado. >> we were watching a movie. as one of the action scenes like

started up, gunshots were firing. and we heard like explosions or something to our left or right. and we were like, oh, someone brought firecrackers. [ female announcer ] great taste is always in style with lean cuisine steam bags. get our crispiest carrots and our snappiest peas all freshly steamed in just minutes. steam bags from lean cuisine. be culinary chic. [romney singing]: oh beautiful, for spacious skies, i'm barack obama and i approve this message. for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains majesty, above the fruited plain, america,

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welcome back. roughly seven hours after a massacre unfolds in a colorado movie theater, of course investigators continue to comb through all the evidence trying to understand and get a better understanding of the suspect that is now in custody. one person, a 24-year-old, in custody. meantime, eyewitnesss are still telling their stories about what took place. among them, william washington, who is on the phone with us now. william, you were in that theater nine there in that century plaza movie theater. tell me what happened. how it all unfolded. >> actually, i was in theater eight. >> ok. you were in the nearby one then. what did you hear? >> so we got the residual blast. essentially, what we got was -- so we are sitting watching the movie. it's probably about 15 minutes into the actual movie.

so about 30 minutes had gone by from -- it was about 12:30. and suddenly there's a scene where ann hathaway's character is in a shootout. and so there's gunfire going across the speakers. and next thing we know, a really, really loud gunshot goes off. and most of us are thinking that it's just a good sound effect. i know i was definitely thinking that. and, you know, it was so loud that it actually left ringing in my ears. you know the way a gunshot actually would when you're nearby. and then we start to hear it again and again. and then we start to see smoke come up from the right side of the theater. because the theater was directly to the right of us, theater nine. so we're seeing smoke coming up from the bottom right corner of the theater. and people are clutching and, you know, starting to run towards the exits. and we noticed somebody bleeding. and running toward an exit.

and at that point, you know, we knew something was wrong. and so we all head toward an exit. and somebody runs into our theater and yells, don't go into the lobby. he's got a gun. and so at that point, panic. and everybody is panicking. and people are -- there were some people actually sitting down still trying to watch a movie who thought this was just part of some kind of act, i don't know, but people were thinking it was an act. so we start heading toward the back of the theater, where there's an exit that takes us to a balcony. and so we all were on a balcony for about two to three minutes. and it was just an awful scene out there on that balcony. there were people with bloody faces. because both theater eight and theater nine both emptied out into that same balcony. so there were people with bloody faces. and i saw one guy who had his leg looked like it was torn. i mean, like ripped completely off. or his foot looked like it, anyway. looked like he had been shot in the leg.

and we waited up there for about two or three minutes. everybody was just kind of watching over the balcony to see what was happening. and then the police showed up and rushed into the theater or rushed into the lobby, i should say, with shotguns. and at that point, we were all escorted off the balcony through a set of stairs that took us to the front exit. and at that point, you could see cops standing outside of the theater with guns pointed at each and every exit, and that was a clear indicator that whatever was going on in there was still inside, and they needed us out. >> about how long do you think the shooting was taking place before you and other moviegoers started running and looking for a place to leave and before you heard that one witness who said, don't go in the lobby because the gunman is still out there? >> i feel like, you know, it felt like a lot longer than it probably was. it definitely felt like it could have been two or three minutes. but to be honest, it was

probably only about 40 seconds. >> were people trying to help one another? from what you can tell, and now we are looking at some cell phone video. at this point, police are already there. you can see a police officer's hand on what appears to be one victim. but did it appear that people were trying to help one another, help the injured? was there any kind of semblance of that? >> somewhat. to be honest, not a lot of people had any clue what was going on. i know that there were rumors flying around all outside, no matter who you talked to. somebody had a different story. somebody thought it was just a fire cracker that somebody set off. others thought -- i heard a rumor of a co2 bomb going off. and there were just a lot of rumors and nobody really knew what was going on. there was a lot of conversation and people discussing what they thought they had seen, what they thought had happened. it wasn't until information came out that somebody had died, and

then multiple people had died, that suddenly things really got serious outside. but it was just a whole lot of confusion and curiousity. >> william washington, eyewitness to what took place there in aurora, colorado. thank you for your insight there in this tragic shooting taking place just after midnight in aurora, just a few miles outside of defensive, colorado. it was supposed to be a fun night at the movies. at the midnight showing for a big movie that so many were anticipating across the country, the new batman movie, and then it turns to tragedy here. more images of the place that then responded to the scene, which became a scene of a massacre. much more after this. [ male announcer ] it's a golden opportunity...

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federal law enforcement officials along with local authorities are now trying to extrapolate more, learn more about the suspect, his motivation, and all that took place just after midnight in aurora, colorado. meantime, that massacre in colorado has precipitated security concerns in new york as well. susan candiotti is there. susan, tell us more. >> hi, fredfredricka. we just got an announcement from the police commissioner here in new york city that he is taking extra precautions at all of the movie theaters in the five boroughs of new york city that are going to be showing an r showing of this new batman movie. and so what they are going to be taking precautionwise, he said, is to add additional security outside the theaters, surrounding the theaters, to make sure that there are no possible copycats. this is a statement from police commissioner ray kelly. he says as a precaution against copycats and to raise the comfort level among movie patrons in the wake of the horrendous shooting in colorado.

kelly says that the police department is providing coverage at theaters in all five borou boroughs, where "the dark knight rises" is going to be playing starting today. so this is an extra measure to make sure that the people are comfortable if they choose to go to see this movie, which of course is a summer blockbuster and being billed that way throughout. fredricka, we also have some additional information from new york's mayor, michael bloomberg, who appeared on a radio show this morning in new york city, already weighing in on this terrible shooting as well. he of course as we all know is a major proponent of gun control. and that is what he first began talking about. in his words, he said, there are, quote, so many murders with guns every day, it just has to stop. and instead of the two people, he said, running for president, president obama running for re-election and governor romney, he said talking in broad things about what they want to make the world a better place, tell us

how. he said this is a real problem. no matter where you stand on the second amendment, no matter where you stand on guns. so we have mayor bloomberg weighing in as well as police commissioner ray kelly. >> susan, thank you so much in new york. we want to take you back to colorado now. aurora, colorado. the place of the shooting. right now we want to take to you one of the medical facilities. aurora medical center for a press conference right now underway. >> i think there's almost an equitable mix of the type of patients, male/female that we have received. again, they are on the younger side, certainly. >> reporter: any approximate age range, 16 to 31? is that about right? >> that's right. any other questions? >> reporter: spell your first and last name, please. >> frank lanesville. we had a total of 15 patients received from this incident. thrng.

thank you. >> i'm sorry. let me make a correction to the phone number i gave out earlier for patients and family. >> again. a press conference that is just now winding up there at the aurora medical center. we understand that there are a number of hospitals and medical centers that are being involved here in trying to treat those who have been injured. some 38 people injured. 12 dead. among the victims, we want that the victims range in age from 3 months all the way up to 31 perhaps even past that age. but those are the numbers we have, from 3 to 31. we'll have much more on our continuing coverage of the massacre at a colorado movie theater after this.

but those are the numbers we ngt now? yes i could, mike. i'm slowing you down? yes you are. my bad.

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this is cnn breaking news.

12 killed, 38 injured in a massacre in a colorado movie theater. let's find out more about the investigation. the direction it's going. susan candiotti in new york with more information from the fbi. >> fredricka, this is coming from a federal law enforcement official. who is involved in the investigation. we've heard some of this, but a little more detail now that the suspect in this case, mr. holmes, who is now being identified by cnn as the suspected shooter, went to the back door of the movie theater and propped open -- went to the back of the theater, propped open an exit door, and then geared up with his weapons, threw the canister, which was believed to be at this point a smoke bomb or tear gas, and then began shooting. taking out so many people and creating so much carnage in the area before eventually surrendering. so this is some of the information we're also getting from witnesses, eyewitnesss who were in the theater, describing some of it. law enforcement officials now

putting out this information as well, fred. >> all right. thank you so much for that update. we'll have much more on our continuing coverage of this massacre at a movie theater.

we're following breaking news this morning out of aurora, colorado, where 12 people killed in a shooting at the premiere of a batman movie. more on that in a moment. but first, a look at some other

news we're following. in iowa, an fbi dive team will search myers lake today for two cousins, 8-year-old elizabeth collins and 10-year-old lyric cook. cook and 8-year-old elizabeth collins. joe arrepaio and the mapoli- 200 latinos in that class-action suit. and today is the first day of ramadan and protesters cheering that they will win damasc damascus. pakistan could be considered. and look at the damage caused by a powerful lightning storm that

ripped through this louisville, kentucky area yesterday. wind gusts up to 64 miles an hour. thousands of people without power and at least two people were killed when their home caught fire after a lightning strikes. more severe storms are expecting in parts of the southeast today. we'll have much more.

we're following breaking news out of aurora, colorado, 12 people have been killed and another 38 wounded at the screening of the dark night rises. a suspect is in custody, he's been identified as 24-year-old james holmes. witnesses say the gas mask wearing man busted into the theater and opened fire.

he did not resist arrest. the suspect had four weapons. a subsequent search of his apartment for explosives turned up nothing there. hundreds of eyewitnesses were inside this century 16 movie theater when the shooting began, affiliate kusa spoke to one man about what he says happened in theater 9. >> when she turned around, all she saw was the guy slowly makimake ing his way up the stairs and just firing, picking random people. >> >> reporter: you said to me that you saw several people wounded in some form or fashion. >> i saw four, maybe five people that were limping, wounded, slightly bloody. the most i saw was a girl who was pretty much covered in blood and she didn't have any wounds on her. so i mean, a kind of -- it made me think the worst. >> a night few people will be

able to forget there in aurora, colorado. we'll have more of our continuing coverage taking place in that massacre in a movie theater. ♪ nikki! rick! wow, you look terrific! [ female announcer ] the whitening you've always wanted. new crest 3d white glamorous white toothpaste. your smile will shine brighter after just one brushing, and it removes up to 90% of surface stains in just 5 days. for a smile so white, you won't just be the ex-girlfriend. you'll be the one that got away.

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find your away. for a dealer and the rv that's right for you, visit gorving.com. [ indiscriminate voices ] chaos at a colorado movie theater, a gunman enters a showing of the new batman movie, he opens fire wounding -- >> immediately grabbed my arm and wanted to leave as quick as possible. it was terrifying. >> this is cnn breaking news. hello, again, this hour we

have team cover ram of breaking news. we know know the name of the suspect, he has been identified as 24-year-old james holmes. the suspect threw a smoke bomb into an early morning screening of "the dark night rises." a 3-month-old baby is among the wounded. holmes surrendered to police in the theater parking lot. a witness describe what is he saw. >> somebody kicked the emergency exit and started throwing gas grenades and started shooting. at first it took me a minute for me to realize exactly what was going on and i hit the ground so i wouldn't be hit.

all i saw was -- i heard the sound of metal canisters clinking around and then i saw plumings of smoke. >> the suspect had four weapons a rifle, a shotgun and two handguns. officials say he acted alone. police searched the suspect's residence believing there may be explosives there. no explosives were found. we expect to hear more at a news conference roughly three hours from now. let's bring in susan candiotti in new york who will tell us who about how the suspect was apprehended. >> law enforcent officials are trying to piece together what happened not only there their own investigation but what they're getting from witnesses inside the theater. they're saying when he showed up inside the theaters, officials are saying he went to the front

of the theater, propped open an exit door and started to gear up and threw that canister, which appeared to be a smoke bomb of some kind and began shooting. before eventually surrendering to authorities. now among those weapons, he had what is being described to us by officials and sources as an ak-47 type weapon that would be able to fire off multiple rounds one right after another and have a magazine containing a lot of bullets. in addition to a rival and two handguns that were also located. the search of that important -- the search of his parent also very key to this investigation, there was initial concern that it might have been booby trapped and the finding of chemicals and

additional weapons inside that apartment. no explosives have been found, but that search of course still being conducted. >> and susan, there have been, you know, eyewitness accounts, people who have been described, very similar to what officials are now concluding that tear gas was used, there was a loading and reloading and firing of weapons. what more can police, i guess, kind of extrapolate from this skae scene as to what they may have been able to locate inside that apartment or vehicle? >> the key question is did he act alone. but one of the things they'll be looking at very important here are those weapons as they begin to trace back where those weapons came from. how did he acquire them? were they stolen? were did they originate? where were they purchased? these are the kinds of things that will help provide more clues about how he was able to get a hold of these weapons to

carry out this attack. >> all right, susan candiotti, thanks so much for that update, appreciate that. moments after the shooting, eyewitnesses started taking pictures on their cell phones and the images started going online right away. take a look at this video from inside the lobby of the theater. [ indiscriminate voices ] >> we're also hearing more from the people who were inside that very theater where the shooting took place, including one woman who described the scene t shooter and what she did in an attempt to stay safe. >> he came in and he started lighting a gas can and he threw it into the crowd. at that point he shot his first fire into the screening to scare everybody.

at that point he went from here to here and he pointed the gun at me. i was terrified so i just dove down into the aisle. i stood there for a second, i crawled on the ground and i just laid in a ball and waited for him to go up the stairs, and i said the second he goes up the stairs to my friend, we got to crawl up the stairs. somebody said don't go over there because he's going to shoot whoever's trying to get out and he was. all i heard was gunshots a s a women and children were shooting. >> president obama will be discussing the shooting in a prs conference. the president did release a statement today. dan lothian is traveling with the president with more on what

the statement says and how that might differ from what we're going to hear the president say later on today. >> the president was scheduled to make two campaign shops on the second stay of his florida trip, this one now in ft. myers, the obama election campaign saying that event just outside of orlando has been cancelled so president obama can head back to washington. the remarks that the president will make here at about 11:20 or so so a little bit more than an hour from now will be the first public remarks that the president has made in reaction to the shooting. but the white house did release a statement from the president saying that the president and first lady were saddened and shocked by the tragic events, the statement in part saying my administration will do everything he can do to support the people of aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. and he went on to say that we

are committed to bringing who's responsible for this to justice. the white houpresident was bries chief of security. and we'll hear the president's first public comments on this a little bit more than an hour from now. >> then after that, as you just reported, the president then headed back to the white house. let's talk with u.s. congressman ed pearlmutter, discuss the event that happened just after midnight time, a man opening fire, killing 12 and wounding 38. >> i have been on the phone with the chief of police as well as some city councilmembers.

it's a scene where i think the aurora police responded quickly and apprehended this crazed character, i have called him a cuss word a few times, i'll try to keep my words cleaner. they responded quickly, there were so many people that were shot, the police officers were taking folks in their cars to the neighborhood hospitals. we have a number of hospitals in that region and, you know, here's a young man who obviously is -- he had access to some very high powered weapons and he hurt a lot of people and it's terrible. >> and those are some of the questions that are going on asked, just how long ago might this gentleman have received these weapons, how did he get them. we are talking about a state, a place in which people are allowed to carry their weapons in their vehicles. that's not unusual. but now when we talk about some of the weapons being described, ak-47, possibly, a rifle and two handguns that this suspect may

have had when opening fire in that movie theater. what does that tell you about the direction in which these discussions or investigations will go as it pertains to the weaponry involved. >> there's going to be time to figure out exactly what kind of weapons he was using, where he acquired them, will he should have ever acquired them, right now it's about, you know, making sure that the people who were shot and are alive get the best medical care possible and that we pray and do our best to console folks who have been hurt by this tragedy. we'll figure out, you know, whether this was somebody who was crazy who should never have had access to these kinds of weapons, that we'll find out, you know, i -- personally, i got a -- the white house called me about 5:00 east coast time, we had -- i got texted about 5:00 this morning, from the white

house alerting me to this and then a short while later, i got a call from one of my kids, who, you know, was planning to go to the movie tonight, not at this theater, but one nearby. you know, for every parent, for every citizen, for everybody who enjoys the great things that we have in this country, and certainly we have in ro colorado, this kind of thing sets you back, but we'll pick ourselves up and we will console and sympathize and we'll pray for everybody and we'll come together and move forward. >> congressman ed pearlmutter, our hearts go out to all the victims involved in that tragic shooting in aurora movie theater. that theater, century 16, cinemark theater.

timothy warner is a representative of cinemark theater. >> our thoughts, prayers and focus are on the victims and their families and we're grateful for the quick response of the police department and the emergency response teams which s by their quick response. at this time, we really don't have a lot more facts or information than is out there in the public press. as we get more information, we will issue an additional press statement, but for right now, our whole focus and concerns are on the victims, their families and our employees. >> then that comment coming from timothy warner who represents cinemark theater which owns that

century 16 theaters which just endured this horrific shooting just after midnight. so there's a name to the suspect, james holmes, 24 years old. it's believed according to authorities that he was armed with an ak-47 like weaponry, a rifle, and two handguns, our joe johns is looking into that end of the story and how investigators proceed with how james holmes may have obtained these weapons, how long ago, and really some more specificity about the weapons in and of itself, joe? >> fred, that's right, this is the kind of situation that puts authorities around the country on the spot, because they obviously don't know who might think of some type of a copy crime, if you will, we're beginning to see some fallout in other parts of the country. in new york, and montgomery

county, maryland, which is a suburb of washington, d.c. which is a place where a number of the beltway sniper shootings occurred many years ago. the police chief tom manger out of an abundance of caution, he's going to step up the presence of police at movie theaters this weekend, all this in the wake of the notion that federal authorities on the ground are telling us in colorado that after they have secured the crime scenes and the suspect's home which is still a work in process, they are going to have to start tracing these firearms, i heard you talking to congressmen just a few minutes ago, these firearms, at least we know right now, there are at least four of them, there's an ak-47, an assault rifle. two handguns and a shotgun. now the question for authorities as we talked to them in colorado

is where do these things come from? how did these alleged shooter get a hold of them. were the firearms legally registered and was the alleged shooterroperly allowed to get control of such weapons and that's the kind of investigation that we have seen before after you have had one of those mass shootings, fredericka. >> we're also seeing images of the apartment complex where james holmes, the suspect lived, at first they were told there might be explosives there, it might be booby trapped. this is only about two miles or so from the aurora movie theater. they'll be exploring right be locating right in that apartment

as they look through any personal fire, look for receipts, look for computer records et cetera right at his place of resz dense. >> the other thing i think you have to say it's been several hours and people are all assuming that it's all over, the shooting is done, the alleged shooter has been taken into custody. but for the authorities, at this stage, there's still a question of whether the crime is actually ongoing, and what i mean by that is whether there's something inside the apartment that might be dangerous to them, that might somehow hurt the first responders, the people who are showing up and trying to go through aftll of that stuff, as they get to the point where they're certain the crime is over and get to the investigation phase, they can certainly go through everything in that apartment and find out whether there was something that could track back and find out what happened. >> joe johns, thank you so much, in washington. let's go to the place of the

attack where it all happened. that century 16 movie theater there in aurora, just 20 miles or so outside of denver, colorado. that's where we find our ed lavend lavendera, what does the scene look like roughly ten hours after that crime occurred. >> reporter: we have just landed and trying to get a sense of the scene here, standing about 200 yards away from the movie theater and law enforcement here has complete liquly cordoned of movie theater since last. just trying to get a sense of where it is, it's in a massive parking lot that's connected to a large shopping mall and all of this, many of the streets for many blocks surrounding this movie theater have been cordoned off as law enforcement again to process going inside the movie

theater and assessing the crime scene and gathering the evidence. you see that they have set up a mobile crime lab and you see all different types of law enforcement officers that are going in and out of the theater doing the work that they need to do. we have had a chance to speak with a couple of witnesses, one gentleman who was inside the theater when the shooting broke out and he described the chaotic scene, he said hefts sitting in the back and he said he could clearly remember the look of the gunman with the gas mask over his face and this cancer erupting and smoke filling up in the room and describing the scene, he said he heard at least 15 to 20 gunshots erupting inside that movie theater, so the theater was packed, he had come with a group of friends to enjoy the evening, and it felt like they had been in there for hours after the shooting erupted. the movie was playing in a

couple of theaters, and next door, another of the batman movies was playing as well. and there was a witness in there that actually described that there was a point in the movie where there was a big gun fire scene so it was hard to differentiate what was real bullets and what was going on in the movie screen, which added to the chaos inside the theater at that moment. and what was incredible about the story is that the man in the theater next door to where the shooting actually took place, he described that the bullets were actually going through the wall and actually had grazed the neck of a friend of his that's actually being treated in the hospital this morning. so bullets flying through the walls and hitting several people who were in the theater next door where the gunman had originally walked in. >> as we understand, death 12, injured 38. we'll have much more on our continuing coverage after this. >> there was this one guy who was on all fours crawling, there

was this girl spitting up blood, there were bullet holes in some people's backs, some people's arms, there was this one guy that had stripped down to just his boxers, it looked like he had been shot in the back of something, it was crazy. etch. get that great taste anytime with kingsford match light charcoal. here at the hutchison household. but one dark stormy evening... there were two things i could tell: she needed a good meal and a good family. so we gave her what our other cats love, purina cat chow complete. it's the best because it has something for all of our cats! and after a couple of weeks she was healthy, happy, and definitely part of the family. we're so lucky that lucy picked us. [ female announcer ] purina cat chow complete. always there for you.

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the president of the united states expressin his sympathy in that massacre taking place at a movie theater in colorado. joe johns is traveling with the president in florida. he has just been briefed by some of these contactses, what are they telling you? >> reporter: initially we had reported that the president first got his briefing at 5:26 this morning by john brennan, his assistant from homeland security and now we're hearing from joe carney that before arriving at the airport to arrive, to fly here to ft. myers, the president was again briefed by the director of the fbi and also by john brennan

again. we have also learned that the first lady's event in virginia has been cancelled and other events that were on the schedule for the vice president, those have been cancelled as well n terms of how the president reacted when he was first told about this tragedy in colorado, we're told that the president the president was at least relieved that the situation had ended and there were no additional threats to occur. and according to the white house, jay carney, the incident happened about three blocks away from the police headquarters and that's why officials were able to react in such quick fashion, fredericka. >> let's talk more about the direction of the investigation, the fbi is now part of it and they're looking into this shooting involving suspect 24-year-old james holmes, tom fuentes is a director of the fbi, he's also a cnn contribute

for. what will be the priority for the fbi? >> the priority initially will be to determine whether he's a loan gunman or part of a terrorist organization or some other group of individuals deciding to commit violence acts against society. as of now, the fbi has determined that he seems to be a lo lone gunman, he doesn't appear to be a member of any other organization and then whatever assistance can be lent to the aurora police department. the aurora pd is the lead agency, being assisted by the fbi, being assisted by the atf, because you're going to have record checks trying to trace the questions and trying to determine if there are any other weapons. the investigation will be going on for several days. >> will the fbi determine how those weapons were retrieved

or -- entity on the federal investigation. >> all of the agencies will be working together. in that case of the weapon, the tracing of the weapons will probably be primarily done by atf, trying to determine whether this individual, where holmes acquired the weapons, from a gunshot, determining whether he stole the webs. again, one police agency or federal law enforcement agency is really never enough in this because they want to do as many interviews, cover as many leads as quickly as possible. they can't two one and then when they finish that do the next one, they have to do as many as possible all at once. they have to figure out -- police around the country are going to be watching fo copyc

copycats where people gather. >> this clearly was a very well planned attack. the gunman, wearing a mask, wearing a bullet-proof vest and then we understand also using tear gas in this attack. so it was that gas that distracted so manufacture of the vict -- distracted so many of the victims. so we look into what role the tear gas had in this situation. then, some said, we lost our edge. well today, there's a new new york state. one that's working to attract businesses and create jobs. a place where innovation meets determination... and businesses lead the world. the new new york works for business. find out how it can work for yours at thenewny.com.

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welcome back. and welcome again to our international viewers. updating our breaking news now out of colorado, we now know the name of the suspect blamed for that movie theater shooting spree, he has been identified as 24-year-old james holmes. here's what else we know. the suspect threw a smoke bomb and then opened fire during an early morning screening of "the dark knight rises" a batman movie. 12 people are dead, 38 more wounded. a 3-month-old baby is among the wounded. james holmes surrendered to law

enforcement officers in the parking lot. authorities searched holmes' apartment nearby for possibly explosives, they did not find any but they continue to comb that apartment for explosives. federal officials say the gunman deployed this tear gas which sent some of the victims to local hospitals for treatment of just tt. here's how two of the people inside that theater described that moment. >> all i smelled was gunpowder in the air and i was just terrified and the gas was g getting to me and i was having a hard time breathing and i said if we don't get out of here, i'm going to suffocate. >> our eyes were stinging and it was hard to breathe and my friend and i have asthma so it was even more difficult for us to breathe so we couldn't move anywhere even if we wanted to. >> what does tear gas do to a

body, how debilitating it seems to be from so many eyewitnesss there. >> tear gas is the cyanide family. so as you can hear how toxic that is and we think of tear gas and the indications are that this is tear gas as affecting the eyes, it's more than just the eyes, it affects the breathing, it irritates the lungs, it's debilitating, paralyzing. think about it, it's a relati relatively small, enclosed space. we usually hear of tear gadds disbursing clouds outside. but this is an enclosed space. >> the tear gas was keeping many people from moving, from running, going, because it makes it difficult to breathe and see. >> he wanted to multiply the taj he was doing. >> the tragedy will no doubt

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♪ ♪ ♪ welcome back. more on our breaking news coverage, news of this deadly shooting in colorado spread quickly in the moments after it happened. our affiliates talked to one man who learned that his friend was one of the people shot. >> my friend paul had gotten shot. he was like paul had gotten shot. and i was like what's going on? what's going on? my friend steve, he yelled he

got shot so we all run down to his house, i'm here, i'm not going to leave. i'm not supposed to be at work at 10:00 in the morning, i'm not going, i'm staying, because t t that's irrelevant to me and make sure he's already. i'm furious, i don't understand why people do things like this. it's crazy. it's disgusting. i'm angry about it. and i'm a firm believer in god and so all i can do now is pray. >> we're learning a lot more about that shooting that took place other than eight hours ago. he is james holmes, 24 years old, born on december 13, 1997. police have been searching his apartment. is suspect apparently told them that they might, aurora police spokesman, gave some of the

details of james holmes capture to cnn's early start. >> he did not resist, he did not put up a fight. i do not know the exact details if the officers surprised him or how it actually happened, but i know some of the first offers that arrive d within, i don't know if it was seconds, maximum a couple of seconds, found him behind the theater at his car and took him into custody there. >> we can't forget about the victims in all of this. at least 12 lives lost, 38 people injured, including a 3-month-old baby. of course this can be an incredibly traumatizing and it is a traumating experience. jeff gardere is with us rights now from new york. he's a clinical psychologist and a forensic psychologist. we're hearing from these witnesses kind of recall and

recap over and over again what happened. i want to take about how helpful that might be for those people who were part of this tragedy to kind of refresh in their minds what happened. >> it is extremely helpful to do that. in law enforcement we call that debriefing, with psychology we call that of course a catharsis, being able to talk through what it is that they're experiencing, being able to share it with other people instead of internalizing it and what we need to realize, fredericka is that all of those people are still in a state of shock, so they should also be given some time to compose themselves also. >> and so that's going to be difficult for those who are loves ones of those victims, who they may not really be sure how to approach them because some people, you know, handle tragedies like this in a very didn't way, they become much more reclusive or withdrawn. how do you know what kind of

space to give a victim of an attack like this? >> certainly the family members know of the history of people who may be involved as far as victims of that shooting, they'll better know how to the approach them. but i think you have to make the overture to begin with. to ask them how they're feeling, to ask them what happened, to ask them what i they're experiencing and if they back up a little bit, if they withdraw, allow them to do that so that they can go through that period of shock. but you should not leave them alone, there should be someone with them, if nothing else just being in the same room, keeping them company. you don't want to isolate them. >> and if you're a survivor of a tragedy like this, i mean, clearly this is a memory that really will never leave you. >> that's right. >> many main many ways it's a k crossroads in your life, isn't it? >> i like that term crossroads because too many times when

people undergo trauma, welook it as something that has damaged them, and that it's emotional baggage. but as psychologists and psychiatrists we want to they can that traumatic situation and help them work through it and take them through the next step of their psychological evolution, in other words making them stronger than before they went into that situation where they were traumatized. >> clinical psychologist jeff gardere, always good to talk to you. but unfortunately under these circumstances, though. >> we'll have much more on our continuing coverage after this. finding you the perfect place is all we do. this summer, save up to 30%, plus get up to $100 on us. welcome to hotels.com. nature valley trail mix bars are made with real ingredients you can see. like whole roasted nuts, chewy granola, and real fruit. nature valley trail mix bars.

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the president of the united states is going to speak live about that tragedy in colorado

in about 20 minutes from now. >> the situation is fluid here so it's always possible the president could be moving up the time. he was supposed to come out and speak about 11:20. we're told by a campaign official that the president will come out when he makes remarks about remembering the victims of that tragedy and trying to figure out what happened in the shooting, gone will be the typical stump speech. >> dan lothian, i want to interrupt you, i know you're traveling with the president but the he has walked in right now in ft. myers, we're going to listen to his comments. >> thank you. let me first of all say -- let me first of all -- let me first of all say how grateful i am for all of you being here.

and how much we appreciate everything that you have done, i know there there are a lot of people here who have been so engaged in the campaign, have sacrificed so much, people who have been involved back since 2007 and so i want all of you to know how appreciative i am and i know many of you came here today for a campaign event, i was looking forward to having a fun conversation with you about some really important matters that we face as a country. and the difference is between myself and my opponent in this election. but this morning, we woke up to news of a tragedy that reminds us of all the ways that we are

united as one american people. -- american family. by now many of you know, many of you have heard that a few miles outside of denver, in a town called aurora, at least 12 people were killed when a gunman opened fire in a movie theater. and dozens more from being treated for injuries at a local hospital. some of the victims are being treated at a children's hospital. now we're still gathering all the facts about what happened in aurora, but what we do know is that the police have one suspect in custody and the federal government stands ready to do whatever's necessary to bring whoever's responsible for this heinous crime to justice. [ applause ] and we will take every step possible to ensure the safety of

all of our people. we're going to stand by our neighbors in colorado, during this extraordinarily difficult time, and i had a chance to speak with the mayor of aurora as well as the governor of colorado to express, not just on behalf of michelle and myself, but the entire american family how heart broken we are. even as we learn how this happened and who's responsible, we may never understand what leads anybody to terrorize their fellow human beings like this. such violence, such evil, is senseless. it's beyond reason. but while we will never know fully what causes somebody to take the live of another, we do know what makes life worth living. the people we lost in aurora loved and they were loved. they were mothers and fathers,

they were husbands and wives, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, friends and neighbors. they had hopes for the future, and they had dreams that were not yet fulfilled. and if there's anything to take away from this tragedy, it's a reminder that life is very fragile. our time here is limited and it is precious. and what matters at the end of the day is not the small things, it's not the trivial things will so often consume us in our daily lives. ultimately it's how we choose to treat one another and how we love one another. [ cheers and applause ] it's what we do on a daily basis to give our lives meaning and to

give our lives purpose. that's what matters. at the end of the day, what we'll remember will be those we loved and what we did for others. that's why we're here. i'm sure that many of you who are parents here have the same reaction that i did when i heard this news. my daughters go to the movies. what if malia and sasha had been in the theater. as so many of our kids do every day, michelle and i will be fortunate enough to hug our girls a little tighter tonight and i'm sure you will do the same with your children. but for those parents who may not be so lucky, we have to embrace them and let them know

that we will be there for them as a nation. so, again, i am so greatfatefult all of you are here. i am so moved by your support, but there are going to be other days for politics. this, i think is a day for prayer and reflection. [ cheers and applause ] so what i would ask everybody to do, i would like us to pause in a moment of silence for the victims of this terrible tragedy, for the people who knew them, and loved them, for those who are still struggling to recover and for all the victims of less publicized acts of violence that plague our communities every single day. so if everybody can just take a moment.

>> thank you, everybody. i hope all of you will keep the people of aurora in your hearts and minds togethday. may the lord bring them healing in the hard days to come. i am grateful to all of you and i hope as a consequence of today's events, as you leave here, you spend a little time thinking about the incredible blessings that god has given us. [ cheers and applause ] thank you very much, everybody,

god bless you, and god bless the united states of america. thank you. >> all right, the president of the united states at a rather difficult juncture there in ft. myers, florida, what was to be a campaign stop, now it will be abbreviated, however he said he was excited about what would have been a fun conversation, in his words, on the campaign trail, but now an incident that, quote, reminds us of how we're united as a american. wolf blitzer is in washington and will take it from here. >> fred, this is a real national tragedy and the president has underscored that by making the important decision that today is not a day to continue business as usual. it is not a day to go back out on the campaign trail, start firing up crowds about the presidential campaign, this is a day to reflect on the tragedy

that has occurred in aurora, colorado. one of the worst shooting massacres in recent years here in the united states. lots of unanswered questions, but the president, striking this very, very appropriate tone, federal government will do whatever is necessary to help in this investigation and come to the bottom of what is going on. dan lothian is our white house correspondent, he's watching all this unfold as well. dan, the president has cancelled all of his activities today. but set the scene for us, tell us what he's about to do. >> reporter: that's right, well, the president had two events hire in florida, this one wases in ft. myers just outside of orlando. the crowd was already gathered shortly before he walked in, an official let them know that he would only come out and make some remarks about the tragedy,

but he would not be doing the typical stump speech here, and the other event outside of orlando has been cancelled so that he can go back to the white house and continue with his briefings from john brennan. this is not a day for campaigning, you can do politics and campaigning, but this is a day for prayer and reflection, also trying to talk about the personal impact of this tragedy on himself, on his family, you heard the president talk about how he thinks of his own daughters who could have been going to a movie and could have been caught up in something like this and encouraging the crowd to go home and hug their kids a little bit tighter. and he urged -- sharp

differences with the president's opponent mitt romney, so he's asked that those be pulled off the air for the time being. obviously this will take some time to roll out, but that's what they have asked these affiliates to do. and the first lady, she had a campaign event in virginia, that has been cancelled and the vice president's schedule also been cleared. >> as early as next week, there will be a memorial ceremony in aurora, colorado, and assume the president would want to be there and i assume that the people of colorado would want the president of the united states to be there. but what's in the works, or is it too the early to start speculating about that? >> it is way too early, wolf, but you're right, but this is the kind of thing that presidents tend to step up to,

when there is a shooting like this, when there is a memorial held. and also campaign officials to try and figure out if in fact there were any plans in the works for the president to go out to colorado and i was told by one official -- the president's schedule changes at all because he does have travel plans next week that take him to the west coast and it would be very easy for him to take a trip to colorado, but so far, no mention of this being on his schedule, wolf. >> i assume he would do that, but let's wait and see, mitt romney, republican candidate released a statement that he and ann romney were -- took the lives in colorado and injured dozens of people. he said we are praying for the loved ones and families for the victims of this tragedy.

we know that romney is getting ready to make a statement on what has happened as well. but is there any one on the romney campaign that has told you that they plan to follow obama's lead and stop the campaigning on this day? i guess dan is not hearing me, but we'll continue this conversation, we'll have much more on what's going on, the breaking news coming out of aurora, colorado, in t"the situation room" right at top of the hour.

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